Dragon's Blood
by Icy Freshness
Summary: Pushing Gunter out of the way of Hans' betrayal, Corrin finds himself alone at the floor of the Bottomless Canyon. Wounded by the explosion of his sword and now surrounded by an unknown foe, the lone prince finds an odd magic circle connected to a local Dragon Vein. What could his future have in store for him next? Master!Corrin and Servant!Saber Alter
1. Chapter 1

**Dragons' Blood**

* * *

A dark-haired youth limped his way through a dim cavern at the floor of the bottomless canyon that he 'fell' into. The fall down the valley failed to kill him and instead it was the infinitely more surprising explosion of his sword Ganglari that grievously wounded him, the very sword that his father had given to him prior to the mission. As he struggled to walk in search for aid, Corrin found no signs of life or civilization save for a nearby fort that had enough vulnaries to treat his superficial wounds. Eventually, the injured royal from a gilded cage stumbled upon a strange aura on an isolated part of the caverns that seemed to have opened up thanks to Ganglari's explosion. Recalling his last training exercise with Xander, the long-eared prince stood at its center, linking up with the long dormant Dragon Vein underneath it.

 _"I pray this can heal me or at least show me the way out of this blasted place."_

Five seconds on the circle pass by and nothing happens.

"Perhaps it needs more time."

Another five seconds pass...there is no change in his surroundings.

"Damn, could it have failed?"

Corrin hadn't noticed his blood falling upon the ground, slowly changing the aura's color to a vibrant red. Each trickle of blood ran along hidden creases in the ground, revealing a perfectly drawn circle with intricate symbols underneath. The prince had no strength to move elsewhere as the earth below started to rumble. and his keen hearing allowed him to discern the metal clanking of armed men approaching.

 _"Neither side would know of this place so that could only mean assailants from multiple directions and here I am standing in broken armor and no weapon."_

The prince's vision slowly began to falter and he had no doubt that he'd be made quick work of in his current condition.

*Thhck*

An arrow plants itself mere inches from the Prince's feet and from the corner of his eye, Corrin is able to make out shapes clad in armor that was of neither Hoshidan nor Nohrian make. Before the brunette could continue entertaining that train of thought, a swift fireball explodes a few feet away knocking him to the floor.

"Blast it all!"

The wounded young man yelled in defiance, slamming his fist on the stone floor. Now, the swordsmen and spearmen in the enemy party began their steady approach. He studied them for a moment before realizing that the metal in their blades was the same as that of the Wyrmslayer blades in Nohr.

 _"Those weapons, how could they have so many?"_

 _"No, they're not Nohrian, they wouldn't be as restricted as we are."_

 _"Shit! I've seen Xander and Camilla take some nasty cuts from those because of our dragon blood...But mine is much thicker than theirs and the last time one of those cut me, I..."_

More of the prince's blood trickled on the cold stony floor underneath him.

Suddenly, the magic circle at the boy's feet pulsated, raw mystic power flooded the surroundings and engulfed the a blinding flash of light.

* * *

 **-?-**

 **"I ask of you, are you my Master?"**

"Where am I?"

 **"You stand at a crossroads between your world and another."**

"W-who are you?"

 **"I am that which your blood has called forth across time and space."**

"For what purpose?"

 **"To Serve as your blade and cut down your enemies."**

"Why?"

 **"Because your blood demands it. Because deep in your soul, you called out to me."**

"I didn't-"

 **"What is it you desire?"**

"I wish to live."

 **"But of course, and what of those that conspired to send you to your death?"**

"I..."

 **"Will you be content in letting them plot their next offense against you?"**

"No."

 **"Then what is it that you desire?"**

"I...want justice."

 **"Hm? Such a lofty word, can your convictions hold true?"**

"Revenge."

 **"An honest answer."**

 **...**

 **"So I ask you more: Are you my Master?"**

"Yes!"

* * *

As the bright light faded, a petite blonde woman in pitch black armor had emerged. She had a stern look on her face, the kind worn by those who've seen and done things that would haunt most people. In her hand was a single sword in a dark hue that matched her armor. The woman possessed a strong martial presence, from her posture that granted her a commanding presence in spite of her small frame to her almost regal gaze. _  
_

 _*Fzzt*_

The pale woman zoomed passed the befuddled prince, swinging her blade and felling one of the unknown soldiers in the blink of an eye.

"Child's play," the swordswoman said matter-of-factly, betraying no emotion in her speech.

This time, one of the enemy mages stepped forward and launched a massive fireball.

 _*Boom*_

A massive conflagration erupted, a blazing heat that could be felt from a distance.

"Hmph," the lone figure in jet black plate scoffed as the dust settled, "laughable little worm."

Now, the woman picked up a piece of rubble, one no larger than an eye, and hurled it at the attacking magician.

 _*Splosh*_

The rock made contact with the man's eye causing blood to shoot in all directions. The stone refused to stop and obliterated his head before harmlessly arcing downwards to the floor.

* _Phto_ *

The swordswoman spat out, an irritated look on her face before she turned to face her adversaries.

"May the gods have mercy on your wretched souls," she says as she raises her blade upward to her chest, "because I will not."

What happened next was something that Corrin could only describe as a storm, a force of nature that comes and goes, leaving nothing in its wake but utter destruction.

 _"By the Dusk Dragon, she's even stronger than Xander!"_

The boy's eyes widened as he witnessed the carnage happening before him.

 _"One...Two...Three."_

Corrin stares intently as three men fall from a single strike each.

 _*Zoom*_

The pale woman's sword almost flies from her hands and impales two men to the wall.

"Ragh!" the woman in black runs to the nearest foe, furiously grabbing his helmet and twisting it until a sickening crack could be heard.

The woman's rampage did not end until only two remained on the battlefield, herself and the injured prince. Calmly, the blonde walks up to the wall with the impaled soldiers and pulls out her blade. Next, she strides towards the hunched over Corrin and plants her blade in the ground right before his face.

 **"I am the Servant Saber and as per our earlier contract, I shall become your blade."**


	2. Chapter 2

**Dragons' Blood  
**

 **Chapter 2: The Ascent**

* * *

Icy F: I'm surprised that I was able to get this much attention in the X-Over section. Anyway, I won't be updating on a fixed schedule, maybe around an update or two a month.

As for some details on the story:

1\. **Saber.** She's the only Servant that's going to appear over the course of the story of Fates proper. But, her circumstances are going to be much different in a behind the scenes fashion that still results to a similar outcome to her legend. The king of England's also got a few more tricks up her sleeve, but it'll be a while before she starts resorting to those.

2\. **The** **Greater Grail**. Absent, so there's nothing to maintain Servants in the Fates-verse, instead the environment has much more ambient mana than the Earth. The Dragon Veins can also provide a considerable, but temporary boost to Servant attributes, making positioning very important in future battles.

Thanks to the circumstances of her birth, Saber can also access Dragon Veins on her own

3\. **Nerfs/Buffs.** Since there's no Greater Grail, Saber's abilities are instead hard-capped by Corrin's own condition, attributes and potential. Thus, her abilities rise as he gains 'levels', giving her a vested interest in making the half-dragon stronger through training. At the beginning, she's around 30% weaker than she would be if non-Heaven's Feel Sakura were her Master. While a promoted, Limit Break-equipped Corrin would put her at almost twice her canon strength since they'd also have the benefit of being in a world with stronger ties to magic as well as their shared draconic nature.

4\. **Excaliblasting.** Off the table for around 95% of the fights she's getting into. As a monarch, Saber understands the value of territory as well as the significance of Corrin building an independent power base. Landscaping via lasers would destroy potential agricultural fields and eventually dissent among the citizenry. Besides the destruction of farmland, there's also any and all indoor battles since they'll be fighting alongside an army, and Saber can only whisk Corrin away to safety after said laser beam, leaving her limited number of soldiers to fight.

5\. **Sensible Clothing.** No dumb fanservice outfits for any combatant will be present in the story, unless they die almost immediately. Carmilla will be donning a size-appropriate version of Beruka's armor (which was originally hers) while Charlotte will at least be fully clothed.

* * *

 **-?-**

Corrin had lost consciousness soon after his newly summoned Servant had demolished the opposition and the surrounding landscape. But, he still managed to see the entirety of the enemy force utterly annihilated with his own eyes.

"Ugh," the young prince clutched his forehead, a burning headache jolting him awake.

"Good morning, Master," a woman's voice greeted him in a neutral tone from across the room.

The brunette looked to his surroundings. A modest room that by design informed the princeling that the building he was currently inside was an outpost of some sort.

"I'm on a bed..." the lad pinched the bridge of his nose in an attempt to work out his migraine.

Corrin saw a pale-skinned blonde in a frilly black dress completely unlike her earlier attire of heavy plate armor. The woman crossed her arms over her chest with what seemed like a permanent scowl fixed on her face.

"It seems I have the good fortune of having a master with such a keen sense of observation," the swordswoman stated with a sarcastic tone.

"Saber, explain," the prince of Nohr demanded as he sat upright, looking not the least bit amused.

"You were wounded and needed immediate medical treatment," the woman responded calmly, pointing to a stack of used bandages and ointments, "besides, it's going to be quite troublesome if I had to carry you out of this infernal place."

"Climb? Out of the place both kingdoms call the 'Bottomless Canyon'?" Corrin responded with a quirked eyebrow.

"..." Saber glowered at her Master for a moment, her rage bubbling inside before she relented, "We cannot remain down here forever, and you need considerable medical attention."

The prince remained silent for a few moments, processing what the woman just said. Yes, he was injured right after his fall since that was the expected outcome of a magic sword exploding in your face. A quick glance at his own body told him that he surprisingly looked healthy.

"I feel fine," the prince rebutted, "a few scars here and there, sure, but I'm fine."

"You're not," the knightly woman shot back, "as a Servant, I'm kept alive by energy from the world as well as my contract with you."

"And there's something distorting this 'energy', isn't there?" Corrin pieced together.

"Yes, while you won't die from your injuries, you're in no condition to fight," Saber crossed her arms, a silent ultimatum.

"Understood, so what's next?" the prince winced as he tried to stretch his arms.

"We find a way out of here," the woman suggested, "the enemy we fought yesterday had no nearby camps or bases."

"But with all those soldiers around, they must have a camp nearby," the Nohrian declared.

"I came to the same conclusion myself...but my search yielded no results," the blonde admitted.

"Are you sure? They have mounted cavalry in this sort of terrain, they'd need stables to keep the horses in order," the budding tactician raised his doubts openly, a refreshing feeling given his silence in the royal court.

"Indeed, but the fact there's no sign of any leads us to another possibility," Saber nodded before directing her Master's gaze to the room across them.

"A magic circle?" Corrin asked before closing his eyes to feel the flow of magic, "Its energy is faint, but..."

"Yes, I believe that they are moving to and fro this place with the aid of sorcery," the blonde affirmed before pointing to the circle once more, "this one here moves to an small cavern some distance away."

"That's another problem in and of itself, isn't it?" the prince grimly added as he propped himself to get out of the bed, "we wouldn't know where we'd be going...Or how well our enemies know the layout of these circles."

"I would expect heavy resistance once we start to move," Saber agreed before gesturing for Corrin to follow her, "before we leave, you need to get some passable armor. It would not do for me to lose my anchor in this world from carelessness."

"And I don't suppose they have that lying around in this rickety old place now, do they?" the prince muttered under his breath.

"Sarcasm is unbecoming of royalty," Saber shot back as she opened the door to another room, "here, find a size that fits you."

"Wait, this armor is similar to that worn by the soldiers you fought," the brunette thought aloud as he inspected the platemail for any marks or breaks.

"That's because it IS the armor of those men that I fought," the woman responded with a slight grin.

"Dead man's plate, huh?" the long-aired prince said nervously, "I hope I don't get cursed by the gods for this."

"While I admit it's in poor taste, we can't afford to be picky now, can we?" Saber sighed in acknowledgement.

Corrin looked at the gathered sets of armor and eventually found one that was just about his size. Quickly, the young swordsman put his new armor on, taking a few brief moments to appreciate the intricate craftsmanship behind them. An oddity that the prince noticed was the recurring feature of curves not unlike the waves of the ocean in both armor and scabbards.

"Hm?" the woman raised an eyebrow as she noted her Master's fixation with the armor, "Is something amiss, Master?"

"It's this pattern, the waves," the princeling answered, "it's...it's something out of a storybook my siblings and I used to read. About a kingdom lost to the sea."

"If you have the time to mull fairy tales, then you have the time to finish getting dressed," Saber clicked her tongue as she materialized her suit of armor, "I'll be waiting out here."

"Understood," the now armored prince replied as he finished fastening his secondhand chest plate.

 _"Still, this can't all be a coincidence, can it?"_

 _"That nameless kingdom that sank to the depths..."_

 _"...What if it's real?"_

* * *

 **-** **Castle Krakenburg, 2 Days Later** -

Several figures occupied the cramped strategy room, all of them commanders in the glorious Nohrian army. However, they were gathered to hear out the report of one of the survivors from the disastrous attempt at claiming the territory around the Bottomless Canyon. In the center stood their witness, the 'former' criminal known as Hans.

"Lords and Ladies," the Ax wielder spoke gruffly, "it is with a heavy heart that I've come to report the untimely demise of Sir Gunter and Prince Corrin."

Immediately, the gathered military leaders began to whisper among themselves. Among those that kept silent were the chief tactician, Hans, as well as the three royal siblings in attendance.

"Hans, we need more details than just that," Iago's voice seethed, a bubble of rage betraying his tone, "considering we lost two very important military assets."

It was no secret that Iago held no love for Prince Corrin, but Gunter was a hero of battles past. Even with his advanced age, the great knight could outfight paladins and outmaneuver sky knights who were decades his juniors, hell, Iago once saw him sidestep a lightning bolt on foot. Losing a veteran like Gunter would be a great blow to the morale of the whole army.

"Apologies," the bald man shook his head and placed his hands behind his back, "Prince Corrin chose to spare the Hoshidan commander against my suggestion of a swift execution."

Camilla tightly gripped her drink, causing indentations to appear on the metal mug. Leo squinted disapprovingly while Xander simply looked on.

"Afterwards, the enemy commander struck the rope holding the wooden bridge together," the brigand continued, "Prince Corrin bravely jumped in and shoved Sir Gunter out of harm's way."

"That explains the prince," a middle-aged admiral with brown hair and a scar at the side of his face, interjected, "but that doesn't explain how everything went to hell right after."

The man who spoke was Admiral Charles Renard, a loyal soldier in the Nohrian Navy for close to two decades. Originally, he was a commoner who signed up with the military in his youth before being transferred to the Navy where his talent for ship-to-ship combat and strategic use of artillery won him successive promotions.

"Yes, well, immediately after the prince fell, Hoshidan sky knights entered the fray and rescued the ninja from falling," the bald man answered, "and the...Blood Spear was among them."

"I see, it seems our intelligence is lacking then," Charles rebutted, a hint of doubt in his voice, "she was supposed to be at the Hoshidan capital at that time, fresh from a trip to their southern provinces."

The gathered military leadership began to chatter once more before Xander's gauntlet loudly slammed on the table.

"Order!" the crown prince commanded, "Hans, continue."

"Sir Gunter was still in shock from what happened to the prince," the conscripted criminal continued his tale, "then, them ninjas attacked from outta nowhere."

"From outside the fort?" Camilla raised an eyebrow at the statement.

"There were only a few of them, coming from the forest," the ax wielder nodded, a slight moment's hesitation in his voice, "like they were waiting for an opportune time to strike."

"..." Leo took a deep breath before raising his voice, "and that's when you decided to retreat?"

"Yes m'lord," the brigand nodded, "Sir Gunter was already surrounded by then and the ninja didn't give chase, securing the fort was likely more import'nt to 'em."

"And Prince Corrin's maid?" a woman with dark brown hair garbed in light armor inquired, "She's one of the successors to the Ice Tribe's chieftain...There would be **diplomatic consequences** that His Majesty would like to avoid."

The woman who spoke was Lady Vanessa Calan, a commander of the Nohrian air brigade and captain of the elite Dark Fliers of Northern Nohr. She was from a noble family with a distinguished background in politics and the military. She was a childhood friend to the crown prince and one of the original people on the short list to becoming a retainer for him.

"Ah, the blue-haired one?" a bead of sweat formed at Hans' brow, "we lost track of her after our initial attack on the fort."

"That is...unfortunate," Vanessa said as she picked up a quill to note something down, "Lord Kilma will not be happy about this."

"Her twin sister's in Fort Dragonfall," Camilla interjected as she directed a frown at Hans, "she needs to be informed. Hopefully, she'll be able to ease any tension."

"If that'll be all, m'lords..." the brigand said sheepishly, more and more nervous at the tension in the room.

"Very well, that will be all, Hans," Iago gestured for the larger man to leave, "I'm sure we all have a lot to discuss given what we've just heard, but we will reserve our judgment until the end of the week."

All the gathered commanders nodded before the tactician took his leave.

* * *

 **-Castle Krakenberg: Royal Library, Later that Evening-**

The three royal siblings gathered themselves at the royalty-only section of the library in the castle late in the evening.

"Do you believe any of that?" Leo asked, a furious torrent of arcane energy slowly building up around him.

"The part about Corrin jumping in for Gunter? Yes," Camilla said with steely focus, "the rest however..."

"Complete rubbish," Xander nodded, "I had a spy trail them on their return trip, they seemed rather pleased that they were rid of our brother and the old man."

"That's not enough proof for father though," the dark knight said in a somber tone, "and no one's ever gotten out of that infernal canyon."

"The answer is simple," the malig knight spoke coolly as she crossed her arms over her armored chest, "we simply need to get the Hoshidan's to testify against Hans while bound to an oath."

"Hmm?" the eldest sibling simply gazed at his sister, "You can't possibly mean..."

 **"We retake the fort."**


	3. Interlude

**Dragons' Blood  
**

 **Interlude: The History of Two Nations  
**

* * *

AN: Edited the last chapter to introduce two OCs who will be important later on, so give that a look sometime.

As for the timeline on this, the first scene takes place simultaneous to the meeting of officers from the last chapter.

* * *

 **-Reina's Estate, Capital of Hoshido-**

As was customary in the Hoshidan military, prisoners of war believed to hold value as hostages are to be housed by the officer with the highest rank on the battlefield unless the reigning monarch deems otherwise. This tradition resulted in Gunter, a renowned knight and hero of the people, and Flora, daughter to the Ice Tribe's chieftain, being placed in the care of the Blood Spear, Lady Reina. Contrary to Reina's reputation on the battlefield, her home atmosphere gave a sense of warm hospitality. The servants were industrious, and polite, even to foreigners. The only peculiar thing in this setup was the 'Blood Spear' sitting across Nohr's 'Stalwart Axe' in her tea room, acting as if they were not soldiers of opposing armies.

"Do you want to try some seet cakes?" the blue-haired kinshi rider asked, motioning towards a small bell for the servants, "There's a lovely new bakery in town and we've just stocked up for the week."

"Hoh? That sounds delightful," the aging knight responded as he took a sip of his tea, "this tea has a unique taste to it, it feels familiar for some reason."

"It's actually quite popular even among the common folk," the woman replied, "though if memory serves, one of my old gardeners used to say that it doesn't grow in Nohr."

"Ah, now I remember," Gunter perked up as he eyed a rice cracker on the table, "it was before the hostilities began, back when neither Queen Mikoto nor Lady Arete had yet arrived in our respective lands."

"It feels so long ago, doesn't it?" Reina nodded, a small, sad smile forming on her face, "Hard for anyone nowadays to think we had a trade agreement."

"Hoshidan crops for Nohrian steel, not a bad trade for either nation," the knight hummed as he picked up the rice cracker and nibbled on it.

"It really wasn't, was it?" the Blood Spear affirmed, "But the daimyo then were...wary of you, they never saw the purpose behind the military culture of your people."

"I suppose it is a difficult leap in logic for the outsider," the Stalwart Axe replied as he wiped his mouth with a clean cloth, "we deal with a lot of pirates at our shores, bandits in the highways and I won't even start with the political schemes."

"We're not that different then, though our political intrigues have much less bloodshed with them," Reina smiled as she saw the red outline of the setting sun on the open door behind her guest, "I'm sure you have many stories to tell."

"That I do, but not all of them pleasant," Gunter answered, only turning to face the warmth of the sun outside, "but such is life."

"Yes, with all it's ups and downs," the woman said as she stared at her cup of tea with a pensive expression, "rather than dining here, would...you be averse to a night on the town?"

"With a fine lady such as yourself?" the Stalwart Ax chuckled, "Not at all, why, I should have gotten myself captured years ago."

"Ever the charmer, eh, Sir Gunter?" Reina replied with a small laugh of her own, "I'll have a carriage prepared then."

* * *

 **-?-**

The Nohrian prince gasped for breath as he finished dispatching a wolf. He and Saber had taken several jumps via transportation circles scattered along the Dragon Veins and neither knew where they were with respect to the border. This latest jump had taken them right in the middle of a den of wolves, causing the pack to fall upon them.

*Gasp*

"Any ideas where *pant* we are, Saber?" the princeling asked as he inspected the fresh scratches on his iron blade, "This looks nothing like any of the maps I've studied on the borderlands."

"That is unfortunate...Master," the pale blonde answered, decapitating two wolves in a single strike, "but the scent of magic in the air is distinctly different from where you had summoned me."

"Is that so? I'm afraid I don't know what to make of that," Corrin clicked his tongue, this time hurling a small stone at an approaching lupine, striking it square in the head and drawing blood, "Got it!"

"Hoh? It seems your instincts are sharper now," the swordswoman said in mock praise, "perhaps you'd stand a chance against a drunkard in a fistfight."

"I'll get genuine praise from you some day, Saber," the long-haired prince stated, his blood pumping faster, "for now, I'll settle for getting out of here."

"At least we agree on something," the Servant chimed in as she met a lunging wolf's open mouth with a closed fist, "but first..."

Saber opened her hand and grabbed the wolf's tongue then proceeded to yank it off before euthanizing the creature by snapping its neck.

"That was...excessive," Corrin winced in an attempt to flush out the brutal image, "but at least that's all over."

Before the pair could move on, a vaguely humanoid silhouette blocked their path.

"What have you done?" the unknown figure's voice cracked, "These wolves...were under my protection."


	4. Chapter 3

**Dragons' Blood  
**

 **Chapter 3: Turning Point  
**

* * *

Thoughts done in _italics._

* * *

 **-?-**

Saber stood her ground, cautiously observing the new arrival. The man approached them with measured steps, but his feet were still shaking after witnessing the results of the carnage that had earlier taken place.

"We respected your damned borders," the man spoke, his composure breaking, "and we let your people through without any trouble."

Corrin eyed the stranger warily then turned his gaze towards Saber.

"We defended ourselves from attack," the pale blonde retorted in her usual cold manner, "we were...seeking shelter from the elements."

"Lies!" the stranger cried out, "Nohrian scum, Kaen Peak belongs to me and my kin! You'd not dare travel this far in!"

Quickly, the stranger lunged at the Servant with such speed that surprised even Saber. The knight responded by taking a defensive stance, grabbing her opponent's outstretched fist.

 _"Kaen Peak?"_ the prince stared at the humanoid figure intently, _"That means we're now in Nohrian territory! But the only people there are..."_

The stranger smirked, then launched another punch with his free hand only to be predictably caught in the Servant's iron clad grasp.

"These wolves were important to you...for whatever inane reason," the woman stated with a passive, uncaring expression on her face, "so I will give you this chance to walk away with your life."

The man ducked low now placing his head level with the Servant's belly and a pair of canine ears perked up from his wild mane of hair.

"Like hell I will!" the newly revealed beastman growled, a trinket from underneath his tunic shone with a brilliant light.

"Saber get back, now!" Corrin commanded, a worried look fixed on his face, "Disengage before he finishes changing!"

"Chang-?" before the blonde could finish her statement, she was hurled face first into the rocky ceiling of the cave, "ugh!"

The mysterious being, now revealed to be a member of the Wolfskin stood to his full towering height of ten feet. With pointed fangs and a rage now driven by instinct, the menacing beast set his blood red eyes on another target. The hulking beast set his massive paws on the earth beneath him, causing the cave to rumble.

"Well, shit," the prince inhaled deeply before rummaging the bag of provisions he had taken with him, _"please be here."_

The Wolfskin let out a bloodcurdling howl before hurling several boulders at the prince who had the presence of mind to attempt dodging them. However, the continuous hail of earth was too much for Corrin to fully evade and the princeling could now feel several bruises starting to form.

"Gah!" Corrin winced at the pain, _"Damn, Saber was right about my wounds, there's no other way I could be taking this much damage."_

"Raggh!" a loud battlecry echoed from the cave's ceiling, the petite form of Saber darting about like a black blur.

" **Grrroaaagh!** " the wolfskin roared savagely, swiftly raising its paw upward in an attempt to catch the Servant.

The attack was far too slow to strike the Servant of the sword head on, but the beastman's morphed hand embedded itself onto the cave's walls. Rubble began to fall as the cave shook from the stress the furious attacks.

"Shit!" the blonde cursed as she quickly studied her surroundings, "We need to head back! _Dammit, if only I could draw on more power._ "

"I know," the brunette replied, his grip tightened onto something from his supply bag, "but we need him off our _backs!_ "

Corrin immediately threw the object in his grip towards Saber. It was a long red lance with an ominous looking spearhead.

"That's a Beast Killer!" the princeling cried out, "It can tear through its hide without issue."

Saber smirked upon receiving the lance, mouthed something unintelligible then planted her black blade to the ground.

"It's time to put this stray dog to sleep," the Servant proclaimed as she took on a spearman's stance.

As if responding to her boast, the Wolfskin turned at the swordswoman's direction. The unnamed werebeast set its paws firmly on the steady ground, leaving deep indents on the earth below. The swordswoman locked eyes with her opponent, both sides holding still for a tense eternity. And without warning, the enraged beast lunged.

" **Raaagh!** " the beast swiped furiously from the right.

Saber quickly hopped upward, dodging the strike and followed up by thrusting the spear downwards. The Wolfskin writhed in response, quickly pulling its injured paw away plucking the offending implement. During this time, the Servant leapt away from her foe and grabbed her sword then her Master before disappearing in a flash of light.

" **Grrrn-noo!** " the beastman fell to the ground, slamming his fists against the earthen surface, his body slowly shifting back to a more humanoid shape.

The Wolfskin took several strained gasps of air, the curse of the spear against his kin taking full effect.

"Damn, damn, dammit!" the nameless inhabitant of Mount Garou cursed as he let out a dying howl.

* * *

 **-Meanwhile at Castle Krakenburg-**

In the dimly lit halls of the Nohrian throne room sat Garon, current king to the nation of dusk. Before him were three of his surviving children, all generals in his army. The king motioned for his servants and guards to leave before turning to address his children.

"Ah, my children, to what do I owe this surprise visit?" the aging monarch greeted with an eerie smile.

"Father," Xander took a step forward, "we've drawn up plans to take the fort over the Bottomless Canyon."

"Ah, that won't be necessary," the king waved it off, "we've convinced Hoshido that we saw strategic value in that area, diverting their forces."

"Father, Corrin gave his life for..." Camilla spoke out, almost ready to yell at her own father.

"Silence!" the king roared, his magic flaring and causing the room to shake, "Corrin gave his life in service to Nohr, he shall be honored accordingly. Even with his failure."

"Your majesty," this time, it was Leo who stepped forward, still maintaining the calm composure he was known for, "we have...doubts on the testimony of the sole survivor from that mission, Hans. We'd like to retake the fort to conduct a thorough investigation."

"Denied," Garon replied, coldly waving them away, "if that will be all, my children."

"..." Camilla stepped forward, her boots thudding loudly on the stone floor, struggling against the unnatural pressure being exuded from the king, "Corrin brought Flora, Lord Kilma's daughter, with him, if we can't give him a satisfactory answer for her..."

"Then we'll annihilate the Ice Tribe if need be," the monarch stated, a bored look on his face, "Anankos knows we could use that land to train our forces to prepare for harsher environments."

"Father!" Xander's roar echoed loudly in the hall, his own power, that of Siegfried, the first king of Nohr, now countering the pressure that Garon was exuding.

"Hrgh!" The king strained, a look of pain forming on his aged visage, "Very...Well...My children, since you feel so **strongly** about the matter, I shall dispatch a force to take back that accursed fort."

" **Now begone!** "

* * *

- **Elsewhere** -

The dusk of Nohr overlooked a tiny remote village in the middle of an overgrown forest. In spite of the many dilapidated structures within it, the once thriving settlement only had a population of one. A single sorceress, the only remaining testament that anyone had even lived in the area, held her lonely vigil in a lone cottage away from the other houses.

"Hm?" a young looking mage turned her gaze from her tome, her lamp flickering at the slightest shift of her magic, "It seems someone has reopened the old walkways."

The girl got up from her old wooden chair, leaving her tomes and grimoire to rest on the stone table she had fashioned herself. She picked up her lamp and walked towards a smaller room, unfurnished save for an intricate circle at its center.

"Let's have a chat with them, shall we?" the mage stared at the circle then snapped her fingers, causing the circle to contort and contract in a blue light.

* * *

Additional notes for the story:

I'm running on the assumption that Ganglari was meant to trigger its explosion when interacting with Vallite magic, hence how it reacted specifically to Mikoto. In this case, the magic in the Bottomless Canyon triggered it prematurely, The relatively weaker magic of the canyon caused a weaker explosion to occur whereas something big like Mikoto's barrier would end up with a proportionately larger boom.

Saber using the Beast Killer lance is not necessarily more effective when compared to her own blade in terms of raw damage, but it manages to bypass her current enemy's defenses with the very vital bonus of being energy efficient and without needing to blow the surroundings to kingdom come.

*As an added note, Wolfskin are a bigger and stronger AND slower here than they are in the game, placing a much larger emphasis on their brute strength.

Only cloths and leathers can be inscribed with runes or blessings to mitigate magic damage in addition to the standard 'mobility to dodge' while heavy metals in armor are less magically attuned. This is in addition to fire, electric and dark/gravity spells using the metallic nature of metal armors against their users.

*Fire melts metal, Electricity is conducted through the metal to its user while Dark/Gravity would crush them using their own weight.

Flora went in place of Felicia because her sister overslept which I felt was in character. It's gonna play a part in Felicia's character arc in the future.


	5. Chapter 4

**Dragons' Blood  
**

 **Chapter 3: The Deadlands  
**

* * *

Thoughts done in _italics._

Projected, artificially modified speech in **bold** , imagine Kirk Thornton's Igor from Persona 5.

* * *

Corrin and Saber had expected to arrive near a lush verdant forest, their location prior to entering the wolves' den. Instead, the Master and Servant pair arrived at an enclosed room of a structure made of wood and stone. Instinctively, Saber stepped in front of Corrin, her black blade in hand.

"We were mistaken to assume those portals were simple two-way passages," the pale blonde stated, her yellow eyes darting around the dark room.

" **No** ," a distant voice, deep and inhuman, unknown to the pair replied, " **you were correct, but these portals can be easily tampered with."**

"Who said that?" Corrin stood back-to-back with Saber and sharpening his focus to sense the magic nearby, his hand reaching for the scabbard of an iron blade.

" **I did. Now, hurry along, there's no time to spare,** " the eerie voice replied, causing a faint glow in the room that directed the new arrivals to somewhere else.

Both Master and Servant stared at the direction the sound came from, finding nothing but an open passage that lead to an inconspicuous wooden door. Warily, the pair took hesitant steps towards the source of the sound, glancing to the sides with every footfall.

" **N** **o need to be so cautious** ," the disembodied voice spoke in an amused tone, " **I wouldn't bring you here if I intended to kill you, that would be much too messy, in my home no less.** "

"Funny way of showing it," Corrin replied, clutching his sword arm which was beginning to twitch uncomfortably, "seeing as you didn't come to greet us personally."

" **I can only speak for myself, Prince,** " the voice replied, her amusement showing in her tone, " **most people don't take kindly to the unexpected change in scenery.** " **  
**

"Most people are quite reasonable then, Magus," the King of Knights clicked her tongue in reply, "and you bringing us here would just make it easier to get rid of us if you've hidden this place..."

Saber made the first move, moving the door ever so slightly, anticipating a very likely trap awaiting them at the other side. The blonde Servant made quick eagle-eyed glances at her surroundings and found nothing out of the ordinary.

 _"But one can never tell with mages."_ the thought crossed Saber's mind as she stepped forward, sword firmly in hand, "It is safe to proceed, Master."

Corrin nodded and followed his Servant into the dim room with only a small, barely lit fireplace for lighting. Inside were books arranged in towering stacks and several dozens more in shelves on the walls, and at the room's center was an ornate chair facing away from the entrance.

"How did you know that I was royalty?" The princeling asked, feeling more uneasy about the situation, still looking around for the person who spoke to them earlier, "This seems too convenient for you, doesn't it?"

"You summoned this Servant, correct?" a younger, more feminine voice answered, surprising the pair, "Only the blood of royalty could activate the Dragon Vein needed to provide the necessary power for the ritual."

"So you know of it," the blonde said, eyeing the chair with suspicion as she recognized some of the odd symbols from Merlin's tutelage, "the means to summon a Heroic Spirit."

"Yes, the place you are in was where it was first utilized in this world after all,' the voice replied, a malefic aura emanating from behind the chair and causing the fireplace to flicker on and off, "that was little over a millennia ago if memory serves correctly."

"Would you mind showing yourself?" Corrin requested, his sword arm grabbing onto the hilt of his weapon, "It's difficult to trust someone you can't see."

"Very well," the voice replied, orbs of flame now flying from the fireplace and towards several unlit candles around the room, "I will humor your request."

As the room was illuminated by the unnatural flames, the young prince finally caught a glimpse of who he assumed was the owner of the mysterious voice.

"Not quite what you were expecting?" the young almost child like voice asked the half-dragon boy, no longer possessing the inhuman quality it had earlier, "I am Nyx, master of these lands."

"Much...younger than I was expecting," the princeling admitted with a nod, "are you an apprentice of some sort?"

"No, her magic is the real deal," Saber countered, "she's hiding her aura well, but she possesses far more power than an ordinary sorcerer should have."

"Perceptive, aren't you, your Highness **?** " the magician said with a wry grin, "I was told you'd be able to see this much at the very least."

"Saber?" Corrin threw his Servant a confused look, relaxing his stance as he realized how powerless he was to affect the current situation.

"Speak, girl, who spoke to you of me and why should I not cut you down?" the pale blonde demanded, losing her patience as she pointed her sword at the unarmed mage.

"Saber, stand down!" the prince ordered, causing an invisible force to hold the Servant back.

"Nggh, fool, she's far more dangerous than you think!" the King of Knights growled.

Before the situation could escalate further, the mage let out a sigh and shifted her gaze to the Nohrian prince.

"Calm yourself, princeling, you're going to need all your Command Seals for what's to come, we can't have you wasting any of them now, can we?" Nyx explained, harmlessly dissipating her arcane aura, "The war to come will consume both Nohr and Hoshido if no one intervenes and both sides have some very ugly weapons lined up."

"War is always ugly, how is this any different?" Saber pointed out, begrudgingly lowering her blade lest her Master does something foolish.

"This one will have no winners," the mage said matter-of-factly, "this will end with nothing less than this land being torn asunder and the death of everything in it."

"That's quite the claim you're making," the long-eared prince added, "I hope you have more evidence than this."

The younger looking girl stared at the Master before heading to the room's exit, her back facing the pair, and through the almost transparent cloth of her garb, revealed an intricate brand not unlike Corrin's own brand as a Master.

"You want proof?" Nyx asked without facing her 'guests', "The first Servant, a Caster, was summoned in this village, soon after that, I became her apprentice."

"We killed everyone here."

* * *

Chapters are gonna be shorter from now because each will just focus on one particular place rather than a back and forth like the intro stuff.


End file.
